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Monday, October 26, 2015

Continuing Education Welcomes Edythe Abdullah

Dr. Edythe Abdullah has joined UNF Continuing Education as the new
interim dean. She previously served as special advisor to President Delaney from
2013-2015. She also served as a member of the Board of Trustees of the
University of North Florida and chaired the Jacksonville Community Council Inc.

Dr. Abdullah earned her bachelor degrees from
Valparaiso University in Indiana and holds a Juris Doctor degree from the
University of Florida. She also has a Leadership Certificate in the
Management of Lifelong Education from Harvard University. With more than 30 years of
experience in higher education, it is clear where her passion lies.

Continuing Education is delighted to welcome Dr. Abdullah as our
new leader. We are excited about the future and want to give you an
opportunity to get to know Dr. Abdullah in the following
Q&A.

Tell us about your family.I am the mother of four adult children — three boys and one
daughter — and “G’ma” to three grandchildren. Shahid is in Jacksonville, Naim
is in San Diego Calif., Hamin is in San Juan, Puerto Rico (with his wife, Angela
and kids) and Ayesha, who just earned her Ph.D. in philosophy from Penn State University, is at UNF taking pre-med courses.

If you could choose any
other career, what would it be and why? Executive director of a nonprofit
organization that has as one of its goals to empower low-income kids.

What would you like to do
when you retire?Learn to play the guitar,
travel and volunteer as a mentor.

What is your favorite
thing about working at UNF?Having the opportunity to
help make a difference in the lives of young and older adults.

What is the
proudest/happiest moment of your life? Being sworn in as a member of the bar 19
years after graduating from law school. I didn’t take the bar exam until 18
years after graduating due to kids and work. It was empowering to do what so
many struggle to do right after law school — 19 years later.

What is the best thing
you ever won?I won a gift basket for a
home movie night from church. One of my favorite movies was in the gift basket
— “The Best Man.” What band(s)/musician(s) would perform the soundtrack to your
life? The Tedeschi Trucks Band and Marvin Sapp

Who is your favorite
fictional character? What makes them your favorite? Janie Mae Crawford in
“Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neal Hurston. The character travels
through life’s journey to find her true essence (spirit) and realize her
relationship to God.

If you won the lottery,
what would do with the money?Pay off all bills,
establish a trust for my kids and grandkids, tithe, set up a scholarship in my
grandparents’ name, travel and volunteer.

If you were not working
at UNF, what would you be doing? Advancing higher education goals at a higher
education institution or higher education support entity.

If you were asked to
paint a picture about anything you wanted, what would you paint?I’d paint a picture of me with all my children/grandchildren and
their spouses celebrating family on a Caribbean beach.

What was the best money
you ever spent?Educating my
children

Is there a piece of
technology that you just couldn’t live without?Smart phone

Tell us something that
would surprise people to know about you:I sang in a girls’ band in high school.

What was the first concert
you ever attended, and what was the most recent concert you attended?James Brown in the Ritz Theater when I was a kid. Earth, Wind and
Fire last year.

What person had the
greatest impact on your life?My grandmother, Edith
Hunter

What are you most
passionate about?Finding ways to give kids
with socioeconomic barriers tools and experiences that allow them to achieve
their innate purpose.

Who is the most famous
person you ever met?President Barack
Obama

Tell us something about
you that even your friends don’t know:I was a jazz radio DJ in college

What do you hope to
accomplish that you have not done yet?Learn Spanish

Last book read: ”Still Foolin’ Them,” an autobiography of Billy Crystal